Defrost
by LillBit
Summary: Due to a horrific incident in her past, Kagome loathes the Christmas season and all that has to do with it. Sesshomaru, prompted by the spirit of Christmas, tries to reintroduce the joy of Christmas to her. A light Christmas tale for those of all ages.
1. Miss Grinch

**Disclaimer: I hereby disclaim and do forever disclaim any possibility of owning Rumiko Takahashi's Inuyasha.**

**I love the holidays-it's a time for writing!**

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><p>Kagome idly watched the snow fall outside as people with bunches of bags made their way home. She sniffed and sipped at her tea, feeling the oppressive silence of the shrine house. It was dark, naught a sign of garland, tree, or twinkling lights indicating the cheery season of Christmas.<p>

The doorbell rang; Kagome opened the door, black hair clinging to her light pink sweater. "Yes?"

Without preamble, a group of children chaperoned by a silver haired man started singing. She shut the door in their face.

They could merrily jingle their way home-she wanted no part of it.

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><p><strong>Words: 100<strong>  
><strong>Prompt: Jingle All the Way<strong>


	2. The Worst and Best Time of Year

**Disclaimer: I hereby disclaim and do forever disclaim any possibility of owning Rumiko Takahashi's Inuyasha.**

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><p>As soon as the shrine door shut one of the carolers turned to look at the chaperone. Normally wreathed in smiles, Rin was frowning.<p>

"Sesshomaru-sama," she asked, "why didn't the pretty lady like our carols?"

He placed a hand on her head. "She's probably not as into the Christmas season as you are, Rin."

"I thought everyone liked Christmas! It's the best season all year!" Rin spun around, hands in the air. "Rin gets to make cookies with Jaken and eat hot chocolate and give gives to Aiko-sensei!"

Aiko, the woman next to Sesshomaru, chuckled. "Indeed. Christmas is the season for giving.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

"Kagome, you should really come visit your Jiji and I. Christmas is the time for family." She heard a sniffle through the line. "We miss you."'

She erased the message, sighing. "I can't come around you, Mama. I don't know what would happen if I did. It would pose a risk to you, and I'm not willing to do that.

Kagome made a mark on a piece of paper that she tacked to the wall every Christmas; it was her only decoration. "Eight years and counting," she murmured.

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><p><strong>Words: 200<strong>  
><strong>Prompt: Wreathed in Smiles<strong> 


	3. Holiday Cheer on Demand

**Disclaimer: I hereby disclaim and do forever disclaim any possibility of owning Rumiko Takahashi's Inuyasha.**

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><p>"Sesshomaru-sama! Sesshomaru-sama!" Rin pulled at his hand, and Sesshomaru arched an eyebrow at her inquiringly. "We need to give the lonely lady Christmas cheer!"<p>

"She probably has her reasons for not celebrating Christmas." His voice brooked no argument, but his adopted daughter stubbornly dug in her heels.

"Please, Sesshomaru-sama. She wants to make the woman have a merry Christmas with lots of bright lights and presents. Everyone should have a happy Christmas!

He remained unconvinced but allowed his daughter to pull him along the snowy side walk. "What are you going to do?"

"Bring Christmas to her!"

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><p><strong>Words: 100<strong>  
><strong>Prompt: Merry and Bright<strong>


	4. Ridiculousness

**Disclaimer: I hereby disclaim and do forever disclaim any possibility of owning Rumiko Takahashi's Inuyasha.**

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><p>While Rin rang to the bell, Sesshomaru was attempting to figure out an excuse to give to the woman in the house.<p>

_"I'm sorry: my daughter is a force of nature"_ sounded rather good to him.

She appeared in the doorway, delicate eyebrow cocked, blue eyes trained on him. "How may I help you?"

"Hi pretty lady!" Rin chirped before he could say a word. "Rin is Rin, and Rin saw that the pretty lady is lonely and has no Christmas decorations! Why isn't the pretty lady happy? Christmas time is when everyone is happy!"

Kagome bent down on one knee to Rin's level. "Rin," she said gently, "Christmas simply isn't for everyone." She smiled sadly. "Sometimes...sometimes it's best for some not to celebrate."

"Hnn." Sesshomaru let his opinion be known. "Ridiculous."

Kagome scrambled to her feet, putting her hands on her hips. "What's ridiculous is you coming to visit me again and insisting on nosing into my business!" Almost immediately after speaking she clapped her hand over her mouth. "I'm sorry! I...I have to go." She slammed the door.

Sesshomaru contemplated the exchange for a moment and made a decision.

"Come, Rin. We have somewhere to be."

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><p><strong>Words: 200<strong>  
><strong>Prompt: Bells ring<strong>


	5. Hard Exterior, Soft Interior

**Disclaimer: I hereby disclaim and do forever disclaim any possibility of owning Rumiko Takahashi's Inuyasha.**

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><p>For the third time that day, Sesshomaru and Rin stood on the porch of the small, cozy home.<p>

Rin stood by his side, hands twisting together. "Do you think she'll like it?"

"Hnn." Sesshomaru knocked on the door and stepped back to await her response.

The woman opened the door to see only a wall of green. "Oh!" she gasped in delight. "A Christmas tree!" Suddenly remembering something, she sobered. "Hmph. A tree. Might as well bring it in-can't waste a thing of nature."

Sesshomaru smirked as he lifted the tree. The woman was all bark and no bite.

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><p><strong>Words: 100<strong>  
><strong>Prompt: Bark and Bite<strong>


	6. Joy to Kagome

**Disclaimer: I hereby disclaim and do forever disclaim any possibility of owning Rumiko Takahashi's Inuyasha.**

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><p>Kagome was stunned as she led them into her cozy living room and directed the man where to put the beautiful douglas fir tree. "Sit, sit," she gestured at the sofa she had been sitting on only moments before. "Take a rest! You deserve it, especially after lugging that tree in here by yourself."<p>

She bustled into the kitchen and set about preparing some hot tea for the two. Kagome was secretly thrilled to have a tree; she couldn't exactly stare the man in the face and say no, especially with it right there within arm's reach.

"A tree!" she whispered quietly, excited. She hadn't had a tree in eight years; now she could decorate it and admire it.

Kagome returned to the living room bearing a nice tray of steaming tea. "I thought we could have tea in here so we could admire the tree. You gave it to me-it's only fair that we give the tree its fair due!"

Rin grinned at the tree and bided her time. It was step one in her mission for a happy Christmas: by the end of the season, she'd hopefully have received her own present, one she only knew about.

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><p><strong>Words: 200<strong>  
><strong>Prompt: To Give; To Receive<strong>


	7. Expedition

**Disclaimer: I hereby disclaim and do forever disclaim any possibility of owning Rumiko Takahashi's Inuyasha.**

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><p>"Let's go get more stuff for the pretty lady's house!"<p>

Kagome blinked. Hadn't she introduced herself? "I'm Higurashi Kagome." She bowed.

"Taisho Sesshomaru," he gestured to himself, "and Taisho Rin."

Rin impatiently pulled on his hand. "Let's go now!"

Grinning, Kagome grabbed her scarf. "Indeed, Taisho-san, let's go!"

Flakes fluttered down around them as they made their way down the street. Rin skipped ahead of them happily, leaving the two behind.

Kagome stared at Rin. "I used to be like that," she said nostalgically.

"What happened to cause a change?"

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><p><strong>Words: 100<strong>  
><strong>Prompt: Flakes Flutter<strong>


	8. A Not So Merry Christmas

**Disclaimer: I hereby disclaim and do forever disclaim any possibility of owning Rumiko Takahashi's Inuyasha.**

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><p>Kagome looked down at the snowy ground. "It was..." her throat tightened, and she coughed. "It was eight years ago. I was living at the shrine house with Mama and Jiji and Souta, my brother. It was close to Christmas and he and I decided to go ice skating." Her eyes began to fill with tears.<p>

"It was the last day of his life."

Sesshomaru stopped and bought hot chocolate for them all. "Thanks," she sniffled.

"Hnn. Continue."

"You see," she said, "there was a pond, a small one, on the shrine property. There's a small woodsy area, and it was situated in there. I didn't know that the ice was thin-it had been really cold so it should have been really frozen-but the pond had a weak spot. I was skating on one side and Souta on the other when the ice cracked. He fell-" Kagome stopped for a moment.

Sesshomaru touched her shoulder in support, and she looked at him gratefully. "He fell in and I couldn't pull him out. I tried so hard, and I screamed for help, but I couldn't get him."

She turned to him. "My brother died, and it's my fault."

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><p><strong>Words: 200<strong>  
><strong>Prompt: Hot Chocolate<strong>


	9. Self Blame

**Disclaimer: I hereby disclaim and do forever disclaim any possibility of owning Rumiko Takahashi's Inuyasha.**

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><p>"Foolish," Sesshomaru scoffed. Teary blue eyes looked at him and he wiped a stray tear away like he did sometimes when Rin cried. "Don't be foolish."<p>

"F-fo-foolish?"

"It was most likely physically impossible for you to do so. Add water weight to a boy's, and you shouldn't have been able to lift him out with only upper body strength."

"I took him there! I took him there. It's my fault! I should have made sure it was safe."

He warmed her hands in his. "It's not your fault, Kagome." Sesshomaru gathered her close, and she began to cry.

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><p><strong>Words: 100<strong>  
><strong>Prompt: Warm hands; warm heart<strong>


	10. Sudden Departure

**Disclaimer: I hereby disclaim and do forever disclaim any possibility of owning Rumiko Takahashi's Inuyasha.**

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><p>Rin looked at the two adults embracing behind her and smiled a gaped-toothed grin. It seemed, though she had come up with what surely must have been a fool proof plan to get them together, that she wasn't needed. She moved ahead of them and started looking at wreaths.<p>

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

Kagome drew away, already beginning to apologize. "I'm sorry. You've been so nice to me and all I've done is blubber over your scarf-"

A finger was placed on her lips and gold eyes silenced her even as he said, "Hush." She nodded, and he withdrew his finger. "It is understandable that you dislike this holiday-it arouses painful memories for you. However, it seems like you have not yet come to grips with what occurred."

Kagome bit her lip but nodded.

"Rin," he called, "put down that wreath." She complied, bouncing over. Sesshomaru walked ahead of them and Kagome bent down, unable to resist tucking the end of Rin's striped scarf back into its rightful place.

Rin beamed at her. "Rin thanks you, Kagome-sama!" The little girl grabbed her hand, and they trailed behind the figure in front of them.

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><p><strong>Words: 200<strong>  
><strong>Prompt: Twirling Stripes<strong>


	11. Prodigal Daughter

**Disclaimer: I hereby disclaim and do forever disclaim any possibility of owning Rumiko Takahashi's Inuyasha.**

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><p>A sprinkling of stars adorned the sky as the group made their way across the city to the Sunset Shrine. "Hey." Kagome grabbed his sleeve. "How did you know what shrine I was talking about?"<p>

"Your last name is Higurashi," Sesshomaru replied blandly, "meaning 'sunset'. It's logical to proceed to the shrine that has your name in its title."

"Oh."

Higurashi Saya opened the door to the shrine and began the traditional greeting only to stop short at the sight of her daughter on the steps.

"Higurashi Kagome," her companion announced in his rumbling voice, "has come to make peace."

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><p><strong>Words: 100<strong>  
><strong>Prompt: Sprinkling of Stars<strong>


	12. Open and Close

**Disclaimer: I hereby disclaim and do forever disclaim any possibility of owning Rumiko Takahashi's Inuyasha.**

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><p>Kagome's hands were cold with nervous sweat, even under the warmth of her mittens. She couldn't go through with this, couldn't do it, couldn't see where he had... She wrenched away, placing her hands and forehead against a tree.<p>

He was by her side, instructing her with a calm, even voice. "Breathe in slowly...and out." A small palm slipped into her own, and Kagome closed her eyes, willing her panic to pass.

After a minute or so, Kagome had recovered. Gratefully, she looked at Sesshomaru, the one who had helped her through it. He wordlessly grabbed her other hand, and the trio made their way down the hall of trees.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

"Hi, onee-chan," she said softly, staring at frozen water. "I know you've gone to the Kami's Realm, but...I came to say I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything. I'm sorry I couldn't save you."

"He wouldn't have blamed you." Sesshomaru stood at her side. "I'm sure he loved you."

"I know." Kagome felt peace settle in her heart. "Thank you, Sesshomaru-sama."

"Sesshomaru," he corrected, and bent down to touch her lips in a fleeting kiss that promised a bright future.

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><p><strong>Words: 200<strong>  
><strong>Prompt: Deck the Halls<strong>


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